This is your chance to help make your me-time more sustainable
From plastic-free, vegan and refillable, to cruelty-free, recyclable skincare and personal care products – sustainable beauty is top of the agenda. With more eco-friendlier brands and products now available for all aspects of your routine, there’s no time like the present to start on your sustainable journey, and a great place to start is by making your bathroom eco-friendlier.
What is sustainable beauty?
When it comes to your beauty shopping, being more sustainable means choosing products that aim to reduce their overall impact whether that’s reducing their carbon footprint for example, or generally being kinder for the planet by not testing on animals.
There are a variety of ways that brands are looking to incorporate this into their line-ups, ranging from ingredient choice to packaging, recycling and reuse potential. Products that are plastic-free, biodegradable or made from recycled materials are common examples, with some even adopting a zero-waste approach, meaning that all elements of production and consumption have been developed to eliminate, and reuse waste, while also conserving resources.
Why choose eco-friendlier products?
From cruelty-free beauty brands that offer refills to ethically sourced skincare products housed in packaging that’s made from recyclable materials, the main reason for choosing more eco-friendly products is that they’re kinder to the planet. Ultimately, this is one way we can all play our part, and collectively we can make a bigger impact in creating a healthier and more sustainable planet.
As well as stocking a wide range of more sustainable products, here at Boots we believe healthy communities need a healthy planet. We signed up to the UK Plastics Pact meaning that, by 2025, 100% of our own packaging will be either reusable, recyclable or compostable.
By 2030, we’ll have reduced food waste by 50% and also halved the impact of our new own brand products. And, along with other retailers, we’ve committed to supporting the BRC Climate Action Roadmap of Net Zero Carbon by 2040 – 10 years ahead of the government’s current legislation.
To help with recycling beauty products, we’ve launched our own recycling scheme at 700 stores nationwide. Using Scan2Recycle technology, it’s a unique solution that rewards customers for helping the environment with 250 Boots advantage points when they recycle five empty products and spend £10.
Our best sustainable beauty and personal care products
The world of sustainable beauty has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and as a result, there’s never been a better time to get shopping. Here are some of our favourite eco-friendlier essentials, from facial SPF to shampoo bars.
Shop more brilliant green beauty products here
Eco-friendlier skincare must-buys
Helping to make your skincare routine more eco-conscious is a great place to start. Here are some of Team H&B’s favourites that you might want to incorporate into yours!
Try: Garnier Micellar Reusable Make-up Remover Eco Pads
• Size: 3 units
• 100% polyester
These make-up remover pads are a great companion to your micellar water. You don’t have to rub your skin while using them, which means no more lost eyelashes and you can either put them in your laundry basket or hand wash them after every use with hot water and soap.
Eco-friendly hair essentials
Another area of our bathroom routine that we can make eco-friendlier is looking at what we use to wash our hair and its packaging.
Try: John Frieda Moisture Shampoo Bar
• Size: 75g
• Vegan
What if you could get all the goodness of a John Frieda shampoo but in a bar? Shampoo bars often contain little to no water, so they use less energy to produce than liquid shampoos. And because they last longer, you end up using less shampoo overall - meaning fewer resources are consumed in the long run. This shampoo bar is infused with coconut oil that gently cleanses your hair while giving it lightweight hydration.
Try: Garnier Ultimate Blends Delicate Oat Softening Shampoo Bar for Sensitive Scalp & Fragile Hair
• Size: 71g
• Vegan
Suitable for sensitive scalps and fragile hair, this shampoo bar harnesses the goodness of oat milk and rice cream to soften and nourish hair. Just remember to keep it stored in a dry place to make it last as long as possible.
Brilliant eco-friendlier body washes
Most of us use some sort of body wash every day, so why not go for more eco-conscious soaps and shower gels? Soaps and bars can reduce unnecessary waste or packaging as they are typically housed in recycled or biodegradable paper – rather than single-use plastics. This makes them a more sustainable option, as plastic pollution is a major environmental concern.
Here are some of our favourites that could give your daily go-to a run for its money.
Try: Faith In Nature Grapefruit & Orange Body Wash
• Size: 400ml
• Vegan
• Cruelty-free
The citrus aromas in this body wash will get your day off to a great start, and it’s also enriched with glycerine and vitamin E to help keep your skin soft too. And the bottle is made from PCR plastic (post-consumer recycled plastic).
Green (and great) eco-friendlier dental products
Smile! Dental products can be part of a more eco-friendly bathroom makeover too. Here are some to consider adding to your tooth-brushing routine.
Try: Georganics Natural PLA Floss - Activated Charcoal
• Size: 50m
• Vegan
• Compostable
A dental floss that’s completely compostable coated with vegetable wax and organic peppermint oil. And what’s more, it comes in a glass jar so is recyclable, reusable, and refillable. We’ll never skip flossing again!
Try: PÄRLA - Original Naturally Whitening Toothpaste Tabs
• Size: 62 units
• Vegan
Say goodbye to all the toothpaste you waste because you can’t get the last of it out the tube. If you’re looking for an alternative to your plastic toothpaste tube, look no further! This jar of 62 toothpaste tabs can provide a single person with one month’s worth of twice-daily tooth brushing. And they can help whiten your teeth too!
And eco-friendlier and effective feminine care products
If you have periods, you may be interested in investing in more sustainable feminine care products too.
Try: Flo Natural Bamboo Ultra Thin Day & Night Pads
• Size: 15 units
Say hello to sanitary towels that aren’t made from plastic but from 100% organic bamboo and are individually wrapped in biodegradable plant-based wrappers. What’s more, five percent of FLO profits go to charities supporting girls and women in need.
Try: Mooncup Menstrual Cup
Menstrual cups last for a number of years so can be reused over and over, reducing the need to buy multiple tampons and sanitary towels which cannot be recycled – meaning less waste and a minimised impact on the environment. Available in two sizes and made from soft medical grade silicone, a Mooncup can hold three times as much as a tampon, making it ideal for days when your period is particularly heavy. And, because it’s non-absorbent, it won’t cause dryness on lighter flow days either.
